Tops

10. The Dark Knight (2008)
Batman raises the stakes in his bourgeois war on crime. With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the city streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as The Joker.

9. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
Fleeing the evil Galactic Empire, the rebels abandon their new base on Hoth. Princess Leia, Han Solo and the droids R2-D2 and C-3P0 escape in the damaged Millenium Falcon, but are later captured by Lord Darth Vader on Bespin. Skywalker, meanwhile, follows Ben Kenobi’s posthumous command and receives Jedi training by Yoda on Dagobah. Will Skywalker manage to rescue his friends from the dark lord?

8. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
McMurphy thinks he can get out of doing work while in prison by pretending to be mad. His plan backfires when he is sent to a mental asylum. He tries to liven the place up a bit by playing card games and basketball with his fellow inmates, but the head nurse is after him at every turn.

7. 12 Angry Men (1957)
The defence and the prosecution have rested and the jury is filing into the jury room to decide if a young Spanish-American is guilty or innocent of murdering his father. What begins as an open and shut case of murder soon becomes a mini-drama of each of the jurors’ prejudices and preconceptions about the trial, the accused, and each other. Based on the play, all of the action takes place on the stage of the jury room.

6. Schindler’s List (1993)
Oskar Schindler is a vain, glorious and greedy German businessman who becomes unlikely humanitarian amid the barbaric Nazi reign when he feels compelled to turn his factory into a refuge for Jews. Based on the true story of Oskar Schindler who managed to save about 1100 Jews from being gassed at the Auschwitz concentration camp. A testament for the good in all of us.
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10.Jurassic Park  -$919,700,000

Huge advancements in scientific technology have been able to create an island full of living dinosaurs. John Hammond have invited four individuals, plus his two grandchildren to join him at Jurassic Park. But will everything go to plan? Especially when one of the parks own workers attempt to steal the dinosaurs embryos, and have to shut down all the electricity in the process. It’s now a race for survival with everyone located all over the island.

9.The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - $921,600,000

Sauron’s forces increase. His allies grow. The Ringwraiths return in an even more frightening form. Saruman’s army of Uruk Hai is ready to launch an assault against Aragorn and the people of Rohan. Yet, the Fellowship is broken and Boromir is dead. For the little hope that is left, Frodo and Sam march on into Mordor, unprotected. A number of new allies join with Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, Pippin and Merry. And they must defend Rohan and attack Isengard. Yet, while all this is going on, Sauron’s troops mass toward the City of Gondor, for the War of the Ring is about to begin

8.Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace  - $922,379,000

This First Episode follows the young years of Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader). The friendship of Obi-wan Kenobi, Yoda and Qui-Gon Jinn are also central aspects. And the beginning of the rise to power of Senator Palpatine to Emperor.

7.Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - $937,000,866

After a lonely summer on Privet Drive, Harry returns to a Hogwarts full of ill-fortune. Few of students and parents believe him or Dumbledore that Voldemort is really back. The ministry had decided to step in by appointing a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher that proves to be the nastiest person Harry has ever encountered. Harry also can’t help stealing glances with the beautiful Cho Chang. To top it off are dreams that Harry can’t explain, and a mystery behind something Voldemort is searching for. With these many things Harry begins one of his toughest years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

6. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End - $958,404,152

Elizabeth, Will and the crew of the Pearl sail off the edge of the map (literally) with the help of mysterious Tia Dalma and the late Captain Barbossa who has been raised by the dead to save Captain Jack Sparrow . He has been condemned to the terrible fate of remaining in the void of Davey Jones’ locker for eternity. But rescuing Jack isn’t the real meat of this movie - Lord Cutler Beckett has control of the heart of Davey Jones, and with that he controls the sea. The nine pirate lords of the world must unite for a final stand against Beckett, Jones and the East India Trade company  (continue reading…)

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10. Day Break - Detective Brett Hopper is having a really bad day, accused of killing Asst. DA Alberto Garza. He has an alibi, but no one believes him. When he realizes that he has been framed, he tries to run away but has to stop when he learns that his loved ones are also in danger. But one morning, he wakes up and relives the same day over and over again. To stop this cycle, solve the mystery and have a normal life, he must find out who framed him.

9. The Wire - In chronicling a multi-generational family business dealing illegal drugs and the efforts of the Baltimore police to curb their trade, this series draws parallels between these organizations and the men and women on either side of the battle.

8. Las Vegas - Las Vegas is a fast paced drama about one of Sin City’s biggest casinos The Montecito. It follows the lives of 6 key employees and how they solve everyday problems that occur and could cost the casino a lot of money.

7. The Mentalist - tells the tale of a man, Patrick Jane who is employed as an independent detective working with the California Bureau of Investigation to solve crimes. He was making a living a psychic and would assist the police on cases — only his life changed when he lost the two most important people in his life to one of those serial killers he was helping track. He works with the Serious Crime Unit and uses his refined observations skills to help them solve cases. He works with senior agent, Teresa Gibson, agents Kimball Cho & Wayne Rigsby and the rookie, Grace Van Pelt.

6.  The Tudors - The Tudors will focus on the rarely dramatized, tumultuous early years of King Henry VIII’s nearly 40-year, omnipotent reign (1509-1547) of England. In addition to dalliances with famous female consorts Catherine of Aragon and the infamous Anne Boleyn, the series delves into Henry’s most notable political relationships, including those with philosopher Sir Thomas More and Thomas Cardinal Wolsey, head of the Catholic Church of England during its break with Rome. (continue reading…)

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10. Vietnam

Active troops : 484 000
Reserve troops: 4 000 000
Defense budget: 3.2 BN $
Tanks: 1 829
Aircraft carriers: 0
Submarines: 2
Nuclear submarines: 0
Fighter aircraft: 211
Nuclear weapons: 0

9.Turkey

Active troops : 514 000
Reserve troops: 378 000
Defense budget: 22.56 BN $
Tanks: 4 205
Aircraft carriers: 0
Submarines: 14
Nuclear submarines: 0
Fighter aircraft: 900
Nuclear weapons:  NATO Shared

8.Iran

Active troops : 545 000
Reserve troops: 350 000
Defense budget: 6.2 BN $
Tanks: 1 800
Aircraft carriers: 0
Submarines: 13
Nuclear submarines: 0
Fighter aircraft: 214
Nuclear weapons:0

7.Pakistan (Nuclear power)

Active troops : 650 000
Reserve troops: 518 000
Defense budget: 5.2 BN $
Tanks: 2 451
Aircraft carriers: 0
Submarines: 8
Nuclear submarines: 0
Fighter aircraft: 523
Nuclear weapons:55-90

6.Republic of Korea

Active troops : 687 000
Reserve troops: 4 500 000
Defense budget: 29.53 BN $
Tanks: 2 300
Aircraft carriers: 0
Submarines: 11
Nuclear submarines: 0
Fighter aircraft: 388
Nuclear weapons:0 (continue reading…)

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10. Jennifer Love Hewitt

Hewitt began her acting career as a child by appearing in television commercials and the Disney Channel series Kids Incorporated. She rose to fame in teenage popular culture via her roles in the Fox series Party of Five, as Sarah Reeves, and the films I Know What You Did Last Summer and its sequel, as Julie James.

As a singer, Hewitt has been signed by Atlantic Records and Jive Records. She is primarily known for her recordings in the pop genre and has a contralto vocal range. To date, her most successful single on the Billboard Hot 100 is the 1999 release “How Do I Deal,” which peaked at #59. In addition, she has contributed music to the promotion or soundtracks of acting projects.

Jennifer Love Hewitt

Hewitt’s physical appearance has been the subject of much media attention throughout her career. Named the sexiest woman in the world in 1999 and the sexiest woman on television in 2008, she has been repeatedly honored by publications such as Maxim, TV Guide, FHM, and numerous readers of these periodicals. In 2007, paparazzi photos of Hewitt on a beach led to a much-publicized matter in which she defended her weight, and was supported by other celebrities. These incidents received coverage from People magazine.

In addition to acting, Hewitt has also served as a producer on certain film or television projects. She can be seen on the CBS television program Ghost Whisperer as Melinda Gordon, a young woman who can communicate with ghosts. She won a Saturn Award in 2007 and 2008 for Best Actress on Television.

9. Jordana Brewster - is an American actress, perhaps best known for her roles in The Fast and the Furious, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, The Faculty, D.E.B.S., Annapolis, Chuck, and most recently Fast & Furious in 2009. Brewster made her debut in daytime soap operas, with a one-time appearance on All My Children as Anita Santos, followed by a recurring role on As the World Turns as Nikki Munson from 1995 to 1998. Her first film role was in Robert Rodriguez’s 1998 film, The Faculty.

Jordana Brewster

One of Brewster’s most notable film roles to date is Mia Toretto from The Fast and the Furious (2001), which she reprised in Fast and Furious (2009). Subsequent film work has included roles in Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! (scenes deleted), as criminal mastermind Lucy Diamond in D.E.B.S., and as Chrissie in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning.

Her television work includes the NBC miniseries The 60’s, as Sarah Weinstock, a college student and radical activist, and a pilot for a followup to the film Mr & Mrs. Smith, playing the role depicted in the film by Angelina Jolie. She is also appearing on Chuck, as the title character’s former girlfriend in a multi-episode stint during the second season.

In 2002, Stuff magazine named her the 96th hottest woman in their “102 Sexiest Women in the World”. In 2005 Maxim magazine named her the 54th sexiest woman in the world in their annual Hot 100. In 2006 Maxim ranked her at #59 on their Hot 100. She placed 8th on afterellen.com’s “100 Hottest Women” list in 2007, 22nd in 2008. and 9th in 2009.

8. Rihanna - is a Barbadian singer, model, and beauty queen. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna relocated to the United States at the age of sixteen to pursue a recording career, under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers. She subsequently signed a contract with Def Jam Recordings after auditioning for then-label head Jay-Z.

Rihanna

In 2005, Rihanna released her debut studio album, Music of the Sun, which peaked within the top ten of the Billboard 200 and features the Billboard Hot 100 hit single “Pon de Replay”. Less than a year later, she released her second studio album, A Girl Like Me, peaking within the top five of the Billboard albums chart and produced her first number one single, “SOS”. Rihanna’s third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), peaking at number two on the Billboard 200, released three US number one hit singles—”Umbrella”, “Take a Bow”, and “Disturbia”, and the worldwide hit “Don’t Stop the Music”. The album was nominated for nine Grammy Awards, winning Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for “Umbrella”, which features Jay-Z.

Rihanna had sold over twelve million albums worldwide[3][4] and has received several allocates, including the 2007 World Music Awards for World’s Best-Selling Pop Female Artist and Female Entertainer of the Year, as well as the 2008 American Music Awards for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist and Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist.[5][6] She also serves as one of Barbados’ cultural ambassadors.

7. Adriana Lima - is a Brazilian model best known as a Victoria’s Secret Angel since 2000 and a spokesmodel for Maybelline cosmetics from 2003 to 2009. At age 15, Lima finished first place in Ford’s “Supermodel of Brazil” competition and took second place the following year in the Ford “Supermodel of the World” competition before signing with Elite Model Management in New York City.

Adriana Lima

6. Eliza Dushku - born December 30, 1980) is an American actress who appeared in several Hollywood movies such as True Lies, The New Guy, Bring It On, Wrong Turn and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. She is also well known for her acting on television, such as her recurring appearances on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel as Faith, as well as the main character, Tru Davies, in the series Tru Calling. She also produces and stars as Echo in the series Dollhouse, created by Joss Whedon (with whom Dushku worked on Buffy and Angel), which premiered February 2009 on Fox.

Eliza Dushku

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10. Prison Break - Michael Scofield is a desperate man in a desperate situation. His brother, Lincoln Burrows, is on death row and scheduled to die in a few months for a murder Michael is convinced Lincoln did not commit. With no other options and time winding down, Michael holds up a bank to get himself incarcerated alongside his brother in Fox River State Penitentiary. Once he’s inside, we learn that Michael — a structural engineer with the blueprints for the prison — has hatched an elaborate plan to break Lincoln out and prove his innocence.

9. Criminal Minds - An elite group of profilers analyze the nation’s most dangerous criminal minds in an effort to anticipate their next moves before they strike again.

8. The Tudors - The Tudors will focus on the rarely dramatized, tumultuous early years of King Henry VIII’s nearly 40-year, omnipotent reign (1509-1547) of England. In addition to dalliances with famous female consorts Catherine of Aragon and the infamous Anne Boleyn, the series delves into Henry’s most notable political relationships, including those with philosopher Sir Thomas More and Thomas Cardinal Wolsey, head of the Catholic Church of England during its break with Rome.

7. Sopranos - Meet Tony Soprano: your average, middle-aged businessman. Tony’s got a dutiful wife. A not-so-dutiful son. A daughter named Meadow. An uncle who’s losing his marbles. A hot-headed nephew. A not-too-secret mistress. And a shrink to tell all his secrets, except the one she already knows: Tony’s a mob boss who’s troubles are wrapped up in his two families. These days, it’s getting tougher and tougher to make a killing in the killing business. Just because you’re “made” - doesn’t mean you’ve got it made.

6. Death Note - Light Yagami is the top high school student of Japan who had, until recently, led a boring and uneventful life. That changed quickly when he found a mysterious notebook with the title “Death Note” on it, lying on the ground during the year 2003. Although initially skeptical, after realizing that the “Death Note” is a Shinigami’s tool with the power to kill anyone whose name is written on its pages, Light decided to use it to “cleanse” the world of evil.
Soon the many unexplainable deaths of reported criminals was noticed, and Light becomes hunted by the Japanese police force and a mysterious detective known as “L.” L quickly discovers that the murderer, that the publics dubs “Kira,” is located in Japan, and that he can kill just by knowing someone’s face and name. Light realizes that L is just as cunning, if not more intelligent than himself, and begins a cat and mouse chase with L to see who will be the first to have his identity exposed.
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10. Weeds - This series is a single-camera comedy about a single mother who makes ends meet by selling marijuana in the fictional suburb of Agrestic, California. The series exposes the dirty little secrets that lie behind the pristine lawns and shiny closed doors of homes in the of this gated community. Mary Louise Parker stars as the suburban mom who resorts to selling weed to support her family after her husband unexpectedly dies.

9. Entourage - Vince Chase is the newest “it” actor. His career is sky-rocketing. He makes the move to Hollywood and brings his childhood friends from Queens with him. Eric, his best and closest friend, takes on the roll of Vince’s manager. Drama, Vince’s half-brother, is also an actor who follows along with Vince hoping to gain his own fame. Turtle is the least experienced member of the group and spends his days running errands, wanting to party and using Vince’s fame to get girls. Then there is Ari, Vince’s aggressive and high-powered agent.
Watch as Vince and his buddies soak up everything that Hollywood has to offer. See what it’s like to make it as a movie star.

8. Futurama - Futurama follows the exploits of Fry, a pizza delivery boy who was cryogenically frozen by accident for 1,000 years; Leela, a female cyclops; Bender, an immoral robot, and others as they work for an intergalactic delivery service owned by Fry’s great, great, great… nephew, Professor Farnsworth.

7. The Simpsons - The FOX network’s most successful series to date was a spin-off from The Tracey Ullman Show. Originally appearing on that series as a 1 minute filler, it was decided that these characters could support a half hour series.

6. Californication - David Duchovny heads up the cast in this comedy about a novelist with sex and drug addictions who is struggling to raise his daughter half the time, while having problems with his ex-girlfriend.  (continue reading…)

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10. Brigitte Bardot - is a French actress, former fashion model, singer and animal welfare/rights activist. In 2007 she was named among Empire’s 100 Sexiest Film Stars.

Brigitte Bardot

In her early life Bardot was an aspiring ballet dancer. She started her acting career in 1952 and after appearing in 16 films became world-famous due to her role in controversial film And God Created Woman. During her career in show business Bardot starred in 48 films, performed in numerous musical shows, recorded 80 songs. After her retirement from the entertainment industry in the 1973, Bardot established herself as an animal rights activist. During the 1990s she became outspoken in her criticism of immigration, interracial relationships, Islam in France and homosexuality, and has been convicted five times for “inciting racial hatred”

9. Halle Berry - is an American actress, former fashion model, and beauty queen. Berry has received Emmy and Golden Globe awards for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and an Academy Award for Best Actress in 2001 for her performance in Monster’s Ball, becoming the first and, as of 2008, only woman of African-American descent to have won the award for Best Actress. She is one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood and also a Revlon spokeswoman. She has also been involved in the production side of several of her films.

Halle Berry

Before becoming an actress, Berry entered several beauty contests, finishing runner-up in the Miss USA (1986), and winning the Miss USA World 1986 title. Her breakthrough feature film role was in the 1991 Jungle Fever. This led to roles in The Flintstones (1994), Bulworth (1998), X-Men (2000) and its sequels, and as Bond Girl Jinx in Die Another Day (2002). She also won a worst actress Razzie Award in 2005 for Catwoman and accepted the award in person.

Divorced from baseball player David Justice and musician Eric Benét, Berry has been dating French-Canadian model Gabriel Aubry since November 2005. Their first child, a girl named Nahla Ariela Aubry,[6] was born on March 16, 2008.

8. Keira Knightley - is a Golden Globe-, BAFTA-, and Academy Award-nominated English[2] film and television actress. She began her career as a child and came to international prominence in 2003 after co-starring in the films Bend It Like Beckham and Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy.

Keira Knightley

Knightley has appeared in several Hollywood films and earned an Academy Award nomination for her role as Elizabeth Bennet in Joe Wright’s 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice. She received critical praise for her newest role as Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, in The Duchess.

As of 2008, Forbes claims Knightley to be the second highest paid actress in Hollywood (behind Cameron Diaz), having reportedly earned $32 million in 2007, making her the only non-American person on the list of highest paid actors or actresses. Knightley, however has denied such a figure.

7. Elizabeth Taylor - is an English-born American actress. Known for her acting skills and beauty, as well as her Hollywood lifestyle, including many marriages, Taylor is considered one of the great actresses of Hollywood’s golden years, as well as a larger-than-life celebrity.

Elizabeth Taylor

The American Film Institute named Taylor seventh among the Greatest Female Stars of All Time.

6. Catherine Zeta Jones - is a Welsh actress, presently based in the United States. She began her career on stage at an early age. After starring in a number of UK and US television films and small roles in films, she came to prominence with roles in Hollywood movies such as The Phantom, The Mask of Zorro, and Entrapment in the late 1990s. She won an Academy Award, BAFTA Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for portraying Velma Kelly in the 2002 film adaptation of Chicago.

Catherine Zeta-Jones

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10. Hang Nga Guesthouse a.k.a Crazy House (Vietnam)

The house is owned by the daughter of the ex-president of Vietnam, who studied architecture in Moscow.

It does not comply with any convention about house building, has unexpected twists and turns, roofs and rooms. It looks like a fairy tale castle, it has enormous “animals” like a giraffe and a spider, no window is rectangular or round,

and it can be visited like a museum.

Hang Nga Guesthouse a.k.a Crazy House

9. Cubic Houses (Rotterdam, Netherlands)

The original idea of these cubic houses came about in the 1970s. Piet Blom has developed a couple of these cubic houses that were built in Helmond.

The city of Rotterdam asked him to design housing on top of a pedestrian bridge and he decided to use the cubic houses idea. The concept behind these houses is that he tries to create a forest by each cube representing an abstract tree; therefore the whole village becomes a forest.

Cubic Houses

8. Habitat 67 (Montreal, Canada)

Expo 67, one of the world’s largest universal expositions was held in Montreal. Housing was one of the main themes of Expo 67.

The cube is the base, the mean and the finality of Habitat 67. In its material sense, the cube is a symbol of stability. As for its mystic meaning, the cube is symbol of wisdom, truth, moral perfection, at the origin itself of our civilization.

354 cubes of a magnificent grey-beige build up one on the other to form 146 residences nestled between sky and earth, between city and river, between greenery and light.

Habitat 67

7. Wonderworks (Pigeon Forge, TN, United States)

Located along the main thoroughfare, you might miss this odd structure altogether if not for its unique architecture. It leans! When you drive by, don’t dismiss it as yet another tourist trap in a town full of vendors capitalizing on the lure of the Smoky Mountains. Even parents on their way to the more famous Dollywood Theme Park might want to consider Wonderworks, when trying to budget which attractions deserve their hard earned vacation dollars.

Wonderworks

6. Kansas City Public Library (Missouri, United States)

This project, located in the heart of Kansas City, represents one of the pioneer projects behind the revitalization of downtown.

The people of Kansas City were asked to help pick highly influential books that represent Kansas City. Those titles were included as ‘bookbindings’ in the innovative design of the parking garage exterior, to inspire people to utilize the downtown Central Library.

Kansas City Public Library

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5.  Château de Versailles

This castle complex is Louis XIV’s masterpiece, a structure so magnificent that the state treasury was almost depleted during its construction. Also known as the Palace of Versailles, and located now on the edge of Paris, this palace became home to French nobility during the seventeenth century. As the complex grew through four “building campaigns,” Versailles became the center of French government. Louis XIV lived at Versailles, and government offices, homes of thousands of courtiers and their retinues were built there, and nobles of a certain rank and position spent time each year at the court complex. Louis XIV’s attempt to centralize the French government succeeded, as few could match the ostentatious glamour represented by Versailles.

Château de Versailles

4. Bran Castle

This is another castle that the faint of heart might want to avoid! Commonly known as Dracula ’s Castle, the Bran Castle was originally a stronghold built by the Knights of Teutonic Order in 1212. The first documentary attestation of the Bran Castle is the act issued on 19 November 1377, giving the Saxons of Kronstadt (Brasov) the privilege to build the Citadel. The building started in 1378 as a defense against Turks and later became a customs post on the pass between Transylvania and Walachia. From 1920 the castle became a royal residence until the expulsion of the royal family in 1948. Today it functions as a very attractive museum of medieval arts. The official Romanian site will provide you with the lowdown on this country’s castles, so be sure to visit that site if you plan to visit Romania. (continue reading…)

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